This is my all time favorite sweet potato and black bean burger recipe! These droolworthy vegan patties are easy to make and incredibly flavorful. Great for BBQs, weeknight meals, or meal prep.
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Out of all the veggie patties I’ve attempted to create, these are by far the easiest and best ones! They don’t require frying, they don’t fall apart (thanks to breadcrumbs!), AND they have black beans.
Needless to say, I’m thrilled to post this delicious way to use the mighty sweet potato.
In fact, this was one of my very first Veg World recipes way back in 2013. And it continues to be a reader favorite! How’s that for an endorsement? Over the years, I’ve spruced up the photos and played around with my veggie-burger-making technique, but the core ingredients and directions remain the same!
So if you’re looking for your next tried and true vegan patty recipe, this sweet potato and black bean burger is for you! You’re welcome in advance ;-).
Oh and did I mention how easy this recipe is?! It doesn’t require a food processor, like most veggie burger recipes. And the most time consuming part is baking the sweet potato (which you can do in advance or in the microwave to save time)!
How to Make Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers
First, you’ll need to prep the sweet potato:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and scrub one medium sweet potato and then use a fork to poke holes in it.
- Place the potato on a piece of aluminum foil on the center rack in the oven.
- Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until tender. Remove from oven, carefully slice open and let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
- Pro tip: To save yourself a TON of time, learn how to make a Microwave Sweet Potato for this recipe!
Next:
- Combine black beans, chopped onion and parsley, bread crumbs, and garlic in a large bowl.
- Add the flesh of the sweet potato and use your hands, a large spoon, or a handheld potato masher to mix the ingredients together.
- Add the cumin, salt, pepper, lime juice, and apple cider vinegar. Stir well.
- Form the batter into 8 patties with your hands.
- Bake on a greased or lined baking sheet for ~25 minutes at 375 degrees F, flipping halfway through.
- You can also try cooking these in a skillet over medium heat (with a little olive oil) for 3-5 minutes on each side.
Freezing and Reheating Veggie Burgers
This is a fantastic recipe to prep in advance and freeze for later. Once the burgers have cooled, put them on a baking sheet lined with wax or parchment paper and pop them in the freezer for 1-2 hours. Transfer to a plastic bag or airtight container to store in the freezer.
You can reheat them on high in the microwave for ~1 minute.
Can you grill them?
I haven’t tried to grill up a sweet potato and black bean burger for myself, but I don’t think they would hold up well. You could try cooking them on a grill mat to help prevent them from falling apart. If you do, report back!
Possible Ingredient Substitutions
- Bread crumbs: sub ground gluten free oats if you want to make this recipe gluten free
- Spices: sub or add oregano, chili powder, basil, cilantro, or paprika
- Beans: sub white, pinto, or kidney beans
Ways to Eat Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers
My favorite part about these patties is their versatility!
You can do so much with them, including:
- Eat them the traditional way – slapped between a yummy whole wheat bun with lettuce, tomato, onion, and mayo. Add some avocado if you want get fancy!
- Cut them up and toss on salads – the perfect lunch!
- Nix the bun and eat them taco style in between a long romaine leaf with avocado and red pepper.
- Serve them with a fried egg on top for breakfast.
If you’re hankering for more sweet potatoes, check out:
- Oatmeal Raisin Sweet Potato Cookies
- Sweet Potato Blueberry Flax Muffins
- Hasselback Purple Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Black Bean Meal Prep Bowls
- Ancho Chile Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
And for another veggie burger recipe, give the Black Bean Beet Burgers a try!
If you make this recipe, don’t forget to rate and review it using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments. For more veggie-loaded recipes, sign up for the weekly newsletter.
Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burgers
Ingredients
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato - from about 1 medium sweet potato
- 1 cup black beans - drained and rinsed
- 6 tablespoon bread crumbs
- ½ cup onion - chopped
- 3 tablespoon fresh parsley - chopped
- 3 cloves garlic - minced or pressed
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon lime juice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub and wash the sweet potato, and then poke several holes in it with a fork. Place the potato on a piece of aluminum foil on the center rack of the oven, and cook for 45-60 minutes or until tender. (You can do this up to a few days in advance or instead make a Microwave Sweet Potato to save yourself a ton of time.) Remove from the oven, and decrease the oven temp to 375 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet generously with oil or line with parchment paper, and set aside.
- Combine the sweet potato flesh, black beans, onion, bread crumbs, parsley, and garlic in a large bowl. Use your hands, a potato masher, or a large spoon to mix until well combined.
- Add the cumin, salt, pepper, apple cider vinegar, and lime. Mix until well combined.
- Use your hands to form the batter into 8 patties. Place each burger on the baking sheet and cook for 25 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Enjoy! Serve on a bun or lettuce leaf with toppings.
Notes
Nutrition
Have a wonderful evening! – Lizzie
Dorothy Kersey
Just tried these & it was delicious! I did not have canned black beans so I substituted canned chickpeas. Left out the garlic cloves & added 2 eggs for binding. It worked for the cast iron skillet, but would not try to grill unless it’s on foil. Worthy recipe to keep!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Thanks for sharing, Dorothy! Glad you enjoyed them.
tigerofmyheart
yuuuuuummmmm!!!!
df
Sweet potato is just the best, and these look very rewarding. Thanks for the great ideas.
itsavegworldafterall
Thank you! They turned out to be delicious and light, but still filling. Thanks for stopping by 🙂 — Lizzie